Looking Past the Twi-Hards

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The other day, as I sat in the office with Editor-in-Chief Zack Rosen, the topic of True Blood came up. With a shrug, he muttered “I would never watch that show”. I wasn’t surprised; I know vampires really aren’t his thing. But it made me think: he isn’t the only person I know who dislikes vampire shows. For every Twi-hard, there are an equal number of vampire haters. Before you go joining the Fellowship of the Sun and write off the vampire genre forever, take this tidbit with you!

For those who don’t know, a Twi-hard is any person who becomes obsessed, or die-hard, over the Twilight saga. I’m not talking about the occasional movie-goer or reader: I am one. I read all four of Stephanie Meyer’s books. I watched Twilight and will go to see New Moon. Instead, a Twi-hard is a girl (and I suppose a boy too) who flocks to the movie premieres, screams loudly at the sight of any shimmering cast member, and nearly passes out when spoilers and pictures are released from the movies in advance. We all know one; some readers may actually be one in disguise.

It is these Twi-hards, in my opinion, that ruin the resurfaced vampire phenomenon for all those people who sit on the fence. Newsflash: I may be a Twilight fan, but I will be the first to admit that the writing is mediocre at best and the storyline could use some serious work. Let’s be honest with ourselves: there is no “deeper meaning” in Twilight. Edward Cullen is supposed to be pretty, Bella is supposed to be one of the worst characters ever written, and Jacob is supposed to be annoying. Welcome to the series. Meyer’s uses a lot of gimmicky tricks (and absurd names) to attempt to lure the reader in, and most of them work.

But wait one second! Twilight should not be how we define vampire media, regardless of those annoying Twi-hards. Bram Stoker’s Dracula, any Anne Rice novel, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer should be considered before anyone even mentions Twilight. Read Christabel by Samuel Coleridge and stumble upon Charlaine Harris, who wrote the books that inspired True Blood. Meet Lestat, Angel, Bill Compton, and Dracula before gathering up opinions. Get out there and see some real vampire lore before ignoring it!

I’m not saying that everyone is going to enjoy True Blood, or any other vampire-based entertainment out there. Some people just truly aren’t into it. All I’m saying is give the blood suckers a chance before you toss them in with the likes of Edward Cullen. Some of them, and the stories that accompany them, are actually quite enjoyable.